Hey baby, how about I spring for a little "husband and wife's lung slice?"
The spicy Sichuanese dish "Tofu made by woman with freckles" has been bestowed the more palatable "Mapo tofu"
The translators, after conducting a study of Chinese restaurants in
English-speaking countries, divided the dish names into four categories:
ingredients, cooking method, taste and name of a person or a place.
Gone are the days of “four glad meatballs” (四喜丸子), which the book says should be henceforth known as braised pork balls in gravy. And as for “tofu made by a woman with freckles” (麻婆豆腐)? From now on, the iconic Sichuanese dish should be simply indentified by its Romanized Chinese name, mapo dofu.
Gone are the days of “four glad meatballs” (四喜丸子), which the book says should be henceforth known as braised pork balls in gravy. And as for “tofu made by a woman with freckles” (麻婆豆腐)? From now on, the iconic Sichuanese dish should be simply indentified by its Romanized Chinese name, mapo dofu.
Lost in Translation: Red burned lion head
In the case of giant meatball dish “red-braised lions’ head”
(红烧狮子头), for example, the book recommends “braised pork ball in brown
sauce” instead. “If foreign customers found a lion’s head in the menu,
I’m sure they will complain it at animal protection organizations.”
If you have never read an English menu in a local Chinese restaurant, here are a few examples of what you’ve been missing.
What’s Up With Chinese Menus?
The stories behind “chicken without sexual life” and “Tofu made by woman with freckles”
“Tofu made by woman with freckles” a combination of ground pork, tofu, and Sichuan chilies, is named for its legendary origin. In the most colorful version of the tale, a widow was forced to live on the outskirts of Chengdu on account of her dermatologic flaws. One evening, a pair of travelers who were caught in a rainstorm took shelter in her home. The dish she prepared for them was so delicious that her house became a regular stop for travelers to Chengdu. Other versions describe the woman as the wife of a restaurateur or a grandmother with a street-food stand.
“Ants climbing a tree” describes the classic Sichuan dish’s appearance—the bits of minced pork clinging to bean thread noodles recall insects moving through a tree’s branches. Similarly, a Huaiyang dish called “Red burned lion head” comprises a large pork meatball stewed in a broth with cabbage and other vegetables. The meatball and cabbage appear as a lion’s head and mane.
Even when the name of a dish simply describes the ingredients, the language is often much more vivid than a Western gourmand would expect. “Chicken without sexual life” (often translated as the far less awkward “virgin chicken”) refers to a young bird weighing between 12 and 20 ounces. The French call it a “poussin;” in English, it’s a “spring chicken.” (The phrase “She’s no spring chicken” appeared in the United States no later than 1906 to describe a woman past her prime.) The Chinese name makes explicit the chicken’s raison d’être: It will be slaughtered for meat before it can lay eggs.
中国菜有了官方英文译名 – 北京为中餐菜正名童子鸡译为“春鸡”
四喜丸子被译成Four glad meat balls(四个高兴的肉团)，木须肉被翻成Wood mustache meat(木头胡子肉)，
醉蟹成了Drunk crab(喝高了的螃蟹)……这些让人忍俊不禁的中餐英语菜名可能从本市餐馆的菜单上消失。市外办和市民讲外语办公室近日联合出版的
《美食译苑——中文菜单英文译法》，为2158道中餐饭菜“正名”。
正名 中餐菜名将统一规范
随着国际化程度不断提高，本市越来越多的餐馆开始提供英文或中英文对照菜单。但中餐菜名一直没有规范的翻译方法，很多餐馆老板将中文菜名直译成英文，闹出不少笑话。一家餐馆曾将火爆腰花直接译成Pork flower(猪肉花)，弄得外国食客一头雾水。
“中餐菜名，不仅包含了原材料的信息，还糅合了很多文化、历史事件、人名等，形成了独特的命名方式。”市外办有关负责人说，很多餐馆饭店的英文菜单千奇百怪，不仅外国人看不懂，连熟悉“中式英语”的国内英语老师也云里雾里。
新出版的《美食译苑》基本涵盖了八大菜系的主流菜品，从家常菜到各式大餐菜品都被收入并翻译成外国人能看懂的英文名称。市外办有关负责人表示，本市餐馆可以参照书中标准译法印制菜单，但不会强制推行。
释疑 童子鸡为啥译“春鸡”
中 餐菜品琳琅满目，很多菜名也有着独特的来源。在编制标准译法时，不少菜名都引发了编委会、专家团队内部激烈的争议。此前曾被翻译成 Chicken without sex(还没有性生活的鸡)的童子鸡此次被正名为Spring chicken(直译为春鸡)，引发了网友热议。
北京外国语大学教授陈琳认为将童子鸡的英文名称定为Spring chicken是符合中英文语言特征的。童子鸡的中文含义是没有交配的小鸡，而英语中一般用春、夏、秋、冬来形容小动物的年龄特征，初生到性成熟前的鸡一般用Spring chicken来表示。
陈琳说，红烧狮子头在标准译法中被称为Braised pork ball in brown sauce，而不能译成Red burned lion head(红烧狮子脑袋)。“如果外国客人看到菜单中有狮子的脑袋，一定会向动物保护组织投诉的。”陈琳笑称。
此 外，四喜丸子的译法也由Four glad meat balls(四个高兴的肉团)改为Braised pork balls in gravy(肉汤 中炖的猪肉丸)，鱼香肉丝则音译加意译为Yuxiang shredded pork，麻婆豆腐则从 Tofu made by woman with freckles (一脸雀斑女人做的豆腐)改为了音译的Mapo tofu。
译法 菜名翻译遵循7规则
据介绍，由于中餐菜名形成各异，翻译方法也迥然不同。陈琳表示，在进行中餐英译时，专家团队基本遵循了意译为主的7项翻译规则，力争让完全不懂中华文化的外国宾客一眼就能看懂。
多 数中餐菜品遵循以主料为主、配料为辅的翻译原则，例如白灵菇扣鸭掌 被翻译为Mushrooms with duck webs。以烹制方法为主、原料为 辅的翻译方式也较为多见，例如火爆腰花译成Sautéed pig kidney。还有一些菜名遵循以形状、口感为主、原料为辅的翻译原则，家常菜脆皮鸡 的标准英文名就是Crispy chicken。
在中餐菜品中，很多是以人名、地名为主命名，这种特点也被保留了下来。例如麻婆豆腐翻译为Mapo tofu、北京炸酱面则为Noodles with soy bean paste Beijing style。
体现中国餐饮文化的特有食品被改用汉语拼音命名或音译，饺子就从原来的dumpling变成了Jiaozi。类似的还有包子Baozi、豆腐 Tofu、杂碎Chop suey等。而无法直译或翻译无法体现做法、原材料的，都使用了汉语拼音。闽系名菜佛跳墙就音译成Fotiaoqiang，驴打 滚儿则为Lǘdagunr，豆汁儿为Douzhir，这些菜的后面还加注了主要的原料名称。此外，还规范了可数名词单复数使用原则。
为 了区分做法，专家还仔细研究了英语介词in和with在汤汁、配料中的用法。主料是浸在汤汁或配料中时使用in连接，例如豉汁牛仔骨翻译成 Steamed beef ribs in black bean sauce，而汤汁或蘸料和主料是分开的或后浇在主菜上的则用with连接。
- Chicken without a sex life (童子鸡): A poultry dish which only uses mature but yet-to-mate chickens due to their tender texture. Or simply call it Spring Chicken as the book suggests.
- Red burned lions’ heads (红烧狮子头): Braised pork balls. “Lions’ heads” is the direct translation of its Chinese name, which reflects the huge portion of each meat ball.
- Tofu made by woman with freckles (麻婆豆腐): Mapo Tofu, which is named after its creator, a freckle-face woman (“mapo” in Chinese) from Chengdu who lived during the Qing Dynasty.
- Lamb piece explosive f–k onion (爆炒羊肉): There is really no excuse for this one and, in case you’re wondering, it’s sautéed lamb and onion.
- Pork flower (火爆腰花): It’s sautéed pig kidney.
- Husband and wife’s lung slice)(夫妻肺片:) It’s Sliced beef and ox tongue in chili sauce
Beijing treats - Rolling donkey(Lǘdagunr, Glutinous Rice Rolls with Sweet Bean Flour)
The stories behind “chicken without sexual life” and “Tofu made by woman with freckles”
“Tofu made by woman with freckles” a combination of ground pork, tofu, and Sichuan chilies, is named for its legendary origin. In the most colorful version of the tale, a widow was forced to live on the outskirts of Chengdu on account of her dermatologic flaws. One evening, a pair of travelers who were caught in a rainstorm took shelter in her home. The dish she prepared for them was so delicious that her house became a regular stop for travelers to Chengdu. Other versions describe the woman as the wife of a restaurateur or a grandmother with a street-food stand.
“Ants climbing a tree” describes the classic Sichuan dish’s appearance—the bits of minced pork clinging to bean thread noodles recall insects moving through a tree’s branches. Similarly, a Huaiyang dish called “Red burned lion head” comprises a large pork meatball stewed in a broth with cabbage and other vegetables. The meatball and cabbage appear as a lion’s head and mane.
Even when the name of a dish simply describes the ingredients, the language is often much more vivid than a Western gourmand would expect. “Chicken without sexual life” (often translated as the far less awkward “virgin chicken”) refers to a young bird weighing between 12 and 20 ounces. The French call it a “poussin;” in English, it’s a “spring chicken.” (The phrase “She’s no spring chicken” appeared in the United States no later than 1906 to describe a woman past her prime.) The Chinese name makes explicit the chicken’s raison d’être: It will be slaughtered for meat before it can lay eggs.
中国菜有了官方英文译名 – 北京为中餐菜正名童子鸡译为“春鸡”
四喜丸子被译成Four glad meat balls(四个高兴的肉团)，木须肉被翻成Wood mustache meat(木头胡子肉)，
醉蟹成了Drunk crab(喝高了的螃蟹)……这些让人忍俊不禁的中餐英语菜名可能从本市餐馆的菜单上消失。市外办和市民讲外语办公室近日联合出版的
《美食译苑——中文菜单英文译法》，为2158道中餐饭菜“正名”。正名 中餐菜名将统一规范
随着国际化程度不断提高，本市越来越多的餐馆开始提供英文或中英文对照菜单。但中餐菜名一直没有规范的翻译方法，很多餐馆老板将中文菜名直译成英文，闹出不少笑话。一家餐馆曾将火爆腰花直接译成Pork flower(猪肉花)，弄得外国食客一头雾水。
“中餐菜名，不仅包含了原材料的信息，还糅合了很多文化、历史事件、人名等，形成了独特的命名方式。”市外办有关负责人说，很多餐馆饭店的英文菜单千奇百怪，不仅外国人看不懂，连熟悉“中式英语”的国内英语老师也云里雾里。
新出版的《美食译苑》基本涵盖了八大菜系的主流菜品，从家常菜到各式大餐菜品都被收入并翻译成外国人能看懂的英文名称。市外办有关负责人表示，本市餐馆可以参照书中标准译法印制菜单，但不会强制推行。
释疑 童子鸡为啥译“春鸡”
中 餐菜品琳琅满目，很多菜名也有着独特的来源。在编制标准译法时，不少菜名都引发了编委会、专家团队内部激烈的争议。此前曾被翻译成 Chicken without sex(还没有性生活的鸡)的童子鸡此次被正名为Spring chicken(直译为春鸡)，引发了网友热议。
北京外国语大学教授陈琳认为将童子鸡的英文名称定为Spring chicken是符合中英文语言特征的。童子鸡的中文含义是没有交配的小鸡，而英语中一般用春、夏、秋、冬来形容小动物的年龄特征，初生到性成熟前的鸡一般用Spring chicken来表示。
陈琳说，红烧狮子头在标准译法中被称为Braised pork ball in brown sauce，而不能译成Red burned lion head(红烧狮子脑袋)。“如果外国客人看到菜单中有狮子的脑袋，一定会向动物保护组织投诉的。”陈琳笑称。
此 外，四喜丸子的译法也由Four glad meat balls(四个高兴的肉团)改为Braised pork balls in gravy(肉汤 中炖的猪肉丸)，鱼香肉丝则音译加意译为Yuxiang shredded pork，麻婆豆腐则从 Tofu made by woman with freckles (一脸雀斑女人做的豆腐)改为了音译的Mapo tofu。
译法 菜名翻译遵循7规则
据介绍，由于中餐菜名形成各异，翻译方法也迥然不同。陈琳表示，在进行中餐英译时，专家团队基本遵循了意译为主的7项翻译规则，力争让完全不懂中华文化的外国宾客一眼就能看懂。
多 数中餐菜品遵循以主料为主、配料为辅的翻译原则，例如白灵菇扣鸭掌 被翻译为Mushrooms with duck webs。以烹制方法为主、原料为 辅的翻译方式也较为多见，例如火爆腰花译成Sautéed pig kidney。还有一些菜名遵循以形状、口感为主、原料为辅的翻译原则，家常菜脆皮鸡 的标准英文名就是Crispy chicken。
在中餐菜品中，很多是以人名、地名为主命名，这种特点也被保留了下来。例如麻婆豆腐翻译为Mapo tofu、北京炸酱面则为Noodles with soy bean paste Beijing style。
体现中国餐饮文化的特有食品被改用汉语拼音命名或音译，饺子就从原来的dumpling变成了Jiaozi。类似的还有包子Baozi、豆腐 Tofu、杂碎Chop suey等。而无法直译或翻译无法体现做法、原材料的，都使用了汉语拼音。闽系名菜佛跳墙就音译成Fotiaoqiang，驴打 滚儿则为Lǘdagunr，豆汁儿为Douzhir，这些菜的后面还加注了主要的原料名称。此外，还规范了可数名词单复数使用原则。
为 了区分做法，专家还仔细研究了英语介词in和with在汤汁、配料中的用法。主料是浸在汤汁或配料中时使用in连接，例如豉汁牛仔骨翻译成 Steamed beef ribs in black bean sauce，而汤汁或蘸料和主料是分开的或后浇在主菜上的则用with连接。
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